St. Louis District
Yorkinut Slough HREP study area map (click to enlarge)
Illinois River, Miles 5-11, Calhoun County, Illinois, Congressional District: IL-15
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Partners
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Description
The overall goal of the Yorkinut Slough HREP is to restore and improve the quality and diversity of emergent wetland, woodland, and forest resources within the study area.
The Yorkinut Slough HREP study area consists of approximately 2,350 acres, of which 1,031 acres are bottomland forest, woodland, and wetland, and is located on the right descending bank of the Illinois River between River Miles 5 and 11 in Calhoun County, Illinois. The study area is located 22.5 RM upstream of Melvin Price Locks & Dam. All lands in the study area are in federal ownership and are managed by the USFWS as part of the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
Human-induced physical modifications over the past two centuries within the Lower Illinois River floodplain have altered hydrology, topography, and biotic communities historically present within the study area. These alterations have degraded aquatic resources (i.e., side channel, fisheries, and wetland habitat), reduced forest community diversity (i.e., age, structure, and species composition), impaired ecosystem functions, and threatened the future sustainability of the river-floodplain ecosystem.
Objectives
Objectives for the Yorkinut Slough HREP were derived based on overarching goals, identification of problems and opportunities, and USFWS and USACE resource and program priorities. The Yorkinut Slough HREP objectives for the 50-year planning horizon 2025-2075 are:
- Restore and increase early successional and emergent wetland within the study area over the 50-year period of analysis
- Restore and increase floodplain forests within the study area over the 50-year period of analysis
- Improve hydrologic conditions for wildlife including waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, Neotropical migrants, and others within the study area over the 50-year period of analysis
Quick Facts on the Yorkinut Slough HREP study area
- Approximate acres: 2,350
- States covered: IL
- Land ownership: Federal
- Management agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Management authority: Refuge
Typical HREP Features
- Moist Soil Unit (MSU) creation/reconfiguration
- Modification of berms
- Wells and pipe work
- Ridge and swale construction
- Floodplain forest creation or restoration